NEWS BRIEFS

An unidentified man is in the Kingston Public Hospital in serious condition after he was hit by a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus yesterday on Half-Way Tree Road.

The accident is the fourth incident in the last 30 days, involving a JUTC bus.

According to Reginald Allen, corporate communications manager at the company, the bus hit the man after it had exited the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre.

Gun murders down for Jan, Feb

Head of the Major Investigation Task force (MIT), Superintendent Errol Grant, says increased police patrols is one of the reasons for a reduction in gun-related murders in the Corporate Area for the first two months of the year.

Figures released by the MIT yesterday show that 66 people were shot and killed in the Corporate Area in the first 59 days of the year.

Arising from this, the MIT arrested 33 people for murder, meaning half the cases have been cleared up.

Over the first 59 days of last year, there were 75 gun-related murders in the Corporate Area, which resulted in 25 arrests.

Tredegar plans peace devotion

Tredegar Park All-Age School in St Catherine originally planned a march as part of today's Peace Day activities, but the recent bursts of violence have put a damper on this.

Hyacinth Rochester, principal of the all-age school, said the institution will now be leading a devotion in the Cross Roads area where the roads to Gravel Heights and Tregedar Park meet.

"Teachers and students are still showing fear," she said. "But who knows? The devotion might turn into a march."